Bipartisanship: AOC Finds Common Ground with Ben Carson, Ted Cruz

Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) found rare common ground with two conservative Republicans on Thursday, agreeing with Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) Ben Carson on adopting a more lenient policy toward residents in legal trouble, and with Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on banning members of Congress from lobbying.

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Secretary Carson agreed to consider Ocasio-Cortez’s suggestion to reform the “one strike” rule, under which tenants in public housing are removed if they violate the law one time.

So often, bipartisanship is marketed as:
a) something only “centrist moderates” are capable of, or
b) giving up your principles to “get things done.”

I couldn’t disagree more. You don’t have to abandon your principles to agree.Being curious about other people’s values helps,too. https://t.co/XPIHuStvhS

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 30, 2019

That agreement followed Carson’s positive responses to the suggestion when Ocasio-Cortez asked him about the idea during hearings in the House earlier this month.

Ironically, the “one strike” rule was adopted during President Bill Clinton’s administration, under HUD Secretary Andrew Cuomo, who is now governor of New York.

Cruz — like other conservative, Tea Party-era Republicans — has long favored reforms that would block the “revolving door” between the federal government and K Street.

Ocasio-Cortez tweeted her own thoughts on the subject Thursday, suggesting a “long wait period” for former members of Congress:

If you are a member of Congress + leave, you shouldn’t be allowed to turn right around&leverage your service for a lobbyist check.

I don’t think it should be legal at ALL to become a corporate lobbyist if you’ve served in Congress.

At minimum there should be a long wait period. https://t.co/xMu9Mwmdm6

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 30, 2019

Cruz seized the opportunity to agree with her, offering a lifetime ban instead:

Here’s something I don’t say often: on this point, I AGREE with @AOC Indeed, I have long called for a LIFETIME BAN on former Members of Congress becoming lobbyists. The Swamp would hate it, but perhaps a chance for some bipartisan cooperation? https://t.co/jPW0xkH2Yy

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 30, 2019

Ocasio-Cortez responded, and from there the two swiftly reached an agreement to work together on legislation:

.@tedcruz if you’re serious about a clean bill, then I’m down.

Let’s make a deal.

If we can agree on a bill with no partisan snuck-in clauses, no poison pills, etc – just a straight, clean ban on members of Congress becoming paid lobbyists – then I’ll co-lead the bill with you. https://t.co/AZTbmdSexv

— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) May 30, 2019

You’re on. https://t.co/S3TBfNeO3Q

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) May 30, 2019

The agreement was a far cry from Ocasio-Cortez’s initial forays on Capitol Hill, when she led a group of protesters to the office of Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY).

Update: Sen. Brian Schatz (D-HI) joined Cruz in supporting the idea, as did Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), meaning there would be a bipartisan team in each of the two houses of Congress to support a bill restricting lobbying after office:

My staff is reaching out to yours. Let’s do this. https://t.co/IU4zIUbWyN

— Chip Roy (@chiproytx) May 30, 2019

Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. He is also the co-author of How Trump Won: The Inside Story of a Revolution, which is available from Regnery. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.